Only two per cent of new fathers eligible to take up to six months off after
birth of child have done so, study shows

Only one in 50 new fathers currently take up the chance to share up to six months of their wife or partner’s maternity leave, figures show.

Fears of damaging their career prospects and having to struggle on a lower income have deterred all but a tiny minority of fathers eligible for the extra leave, a study concludes.

Under new rules championed by Nick Clegg, the Deputy Prime Minister, fathers can now request to have to 26 weeks on top of the standard fortnight’s paternity leave as long as the mother is not also taking her full allocation.

Research by the law firm EMW found that of the 2009,000 fathers who took the usual two weeks last year only 4,000 – or two per cent – went on to take “additional statutory” paternity leave.

Under further planned changes, mothers will be able to nominate their husband or partner to take over all or part of the year’s remaining maternity leave to which they are entitled.

“With only two per cent of fathers taking advantage of additional paternity leave it is clear that the Government’s initiative isn’t working yet,” said Jon Taylor, a principal at EMW.

“Unless their partner is earning significantly more than them there is a financial handicap for the father to take advantage of the extra leave and couples may feel that sharing leave will damage the career prospects of both parents and not just one.

“It is going to take some time before the culture changes and men take more paternity leave, but it is worth employers starting to plan ahead for when they potentially will.”